I never read labels until a friend was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. This means that she should never eat wheat products or gluten. I started checking labels with her and was shocked and dismayed at the high amounts of wheat and other 'stuff' is in canned and processed soups, gravies, pudding and condiments.
It was quite an eye opener!
Ingredients are listed in the order of content. For example, read the ingredients in catsup. How far up or down the list does sugar appear? If it's one of the top two or three ingredients, you're buying a little amount of tomato and a lot of sugar. Well, it may not really be sugar, but high fructose corn syrup' which is a controversial sweetener made from corn.
Be aware of what's been removed from your food as well. Refined rice and wheat have the bran removed, which is where the nutrients are. It's okay though; you can always buy rice or wheat bran and put it back in, or better yet, buy brown rice and whole wheat to begin with. Did you ever wonder where molasses comes from? It's the brown stuff' they process out of sugar, and that's where the nutrients like iron are located.
Nearly every processed or even so-called natural' foods these days have high fructose corn syrup' in them it's mind boggling. In fact, it's very hard to find a loaf of bread without it. It is a highly processed sugar derived from corn that is not even close to natural sugar. This is just one additive that we should be aware of when we purchase food. There are many more additives to watch out for, such as artificial colors, preservatives, flavor enhancers, other forms of sugar, unhealthy levels of salt and so on.
Reading the ingredients and contents of the foods you buy is extremely important if you have food allergies or health problems that require you to limit sugars and salt. It's important to know that ingredients. Many people have negative reactions to MSG, and must avoid it, but it can be listed as natural flavorings' and MSG is not mentioned.
Read the ingredients on most jars of peanut butter and you'll see that there are high levels of sugar. This is important to know if you're diabetic! The same is true of salad dressings, BBQ sauce, canned baked beans and many foods you might not think of as having sweeteners in them. Colas contain sodium and a two-liter bottle can have as much as seventeen spoons of sugar. Often when an item is said to be low fat' or fat free' it contains higher amounts of sugar to enhance the flavor. Sodas may contain high amounts of sodium. Packaged cake mixes have so many added enhancers and loads salt.
Find the sell-by dates. Quite often meats, fish and other perishable foods are put on sale just before or on the date they should no longer be sold. This is fine if you are aware of it and cook or freeze the product immediately when you get it home. However, if leave it in your fridge for a few days before cooking it, you may end up with food poisoning. Expiration dates are very important.
I thought I had a serious digestive problem until I read an article about new flavor enhancers' being added to meat. Then I realized that I only became ill when I ate beef. I love beef and really missed my occasional steak or hamburger. A neighbor recommended the local meat market and the manager told me that their beef is all chemical free. I tried it and haven't gotten sick once after eating their beef. I'm not sure if it was the enhancers, or the hormones and antibiotics the chain store beef has added to it, but something about it made me very ill. They literally inject the meat with needles filled with the flavor enhancers! A local restaurant has begun serving only organic beef. It's a tad expensive but worth it to know I can go out for a steak and not suffer later. Read the list and fine print on the package before you buy your next package of beef, pork or chicken.
Some states allow certain levels of chemicals to be added to foods without adding them to the list of ingredients. Their reason for this is because they say that certain levels aren't high enough to mention. I don't k now about you, but I'd like them to 'mention' whatever they put into my food. If the amount is so small they need not declare it, then why do they add it?
I recently purchased raw, organic honey from our local Farmers' Market and it was delicious. I told the vendor that I never really liked honey before and she said that I probably didn't like whatever they 'extended it with'. Some confectionary sugar is extended with corn starch, which I discovered when I wondered why my cookies weren't as good as they once were. The term tough cookies' took on a whole new meaning for me.
There is concern about candy and other food products coming from China recently. Of course they won't tell you there is melamine in it, but it's good to know it may be present in foods and think about that before you buy anything edible from China.
The best thing to do for your own well being is to avoid processed foods. Buy fresh, locally grown and organic whenever possible. Be certain to read the labels and fine print to find out what's in your food, what's been taken out and where it comes from.